Tree peonies are valuable ornamental plants and are widely cultivated in China and many other countries. Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is an increasingly severe disease in Luoyang of China and seriously affects the ornamental value of tree peonies both in the open air and in greenhouses. However, the resistance of different tree peony cultivars to B. cinerea remains unknown. In this study, 15 tree peony cultivars belonging to three different flowering times were evaluated for resistance to B. cinerea by detached leaf assay measure. Results showed that the resistance of early-flowering peonies was stronger than that of later flowering peonies. Moreover, the correlation between flowering time and resistance of tree peonies was extremely significant (P < 0.01). The information obtained in this study can provide theoretical basis both for further exploring the resistance genes of tree peony to B. cinerea and for the prevention and controlling of the gray mold.

Contributor Notes

This study was sponsored by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province (no. 182300410043), Henan Science and Technology Planning Project (no. 182102110202), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. U1604105).

FlierW.G.KroonL.HermansenA.van RaaijH.M.G.SpeiserB.TammL.FuchsJ.G.LambionJ.RazzaghianJ.AndrivonD.WilcocksonS.LeifertC.2007Genetic structure and pathogenicity of populations of Phytophthora infestans from organic potato crops in France, Norway, Switzerland and the United KingdomPlant Pathol.56562572

Flier,W.G.Kroon,L.Hermansen,A.van Raaij,H.M.G.Speiser,B.Tamm,L.Fuchs,J.G.Lambion,J.Razzaghian,J.Andrivon,D.Wilcockson,S.Leifert,C.2007Genetic structure and pathogenicity of populations of Phytophthora infestans from organic potato crops in France, Norway, Switzerland and the United KingdomPlant Pathol.56562572)| false

HouX.G.GuoQ.WeiW.Q.GuoL.L.GuoD.L.ZhangL.2018Screening of genes related to early and late flowering in tree peony based on bulked segregant RNA sequencing and verification by quantitative real-time PCRMolecules23689

Hou,X.G.Guo,Q.Wei,W.Q.Guo,L.L.Guo,D.L.Zhang,L.2018Screening of genes related to early and late flowering in tree peony based on bulked segregant RNA sequencing and verification by quantitative real-time PCRMolecules23689)| false

LiuS.M.CheZ.P.ChenG.Q.2016Multiple-fungicide resistance to carbendazim, diethofencarb, procymidone, and pyrimethanil in field isolates of Botrytis cinerea from tomato in Henan Province, ChinaCrop Prot.845661

Liu,S.M.Che,Z.P.Chen,G.Q.2016Multiple-fungicide resistance to carbendazim, diethofencarb, procymidone, and pyrimethanil in field isolates of Botrytis cinerea from tomato in Henan Province, ChinaCrop Prot.845661)| false

VleeshouwersV.G.A.A.RaffaeleS.VossenJ.ChampouretN.OlivaR.SegretinM.E.RietmanH.CanoL.M.LokossouA.KesselG.PelM.A.KamounS.2011Understanding and exploiting late blight resistance in the age of effectorsAnnu. Rev. Phytopathol.49507531

Vleeshouwers,V.G.A.A.Raffaele,S.Vossen,J.Champouret,N.Oliva,R.Segretin,M.E.Rietman,H.Cano,L.M.Lokossou,A.Kessel,G.Pel,M.A.Kamoun,S.2011Understanding and exploiting late blight resistance in the age of effectorsAnnu. Rev. Phytopathol.49507531)| false

YuanJ.H.ChengF.Y.ZhouS.L.2012Genetic structure of the Tree Peony (Paeonia rockii) and the Qinling mountains as a geographic barrier driving the fragmentation of a large populationPLoS One7E34955

Yuan,J.H.Cheng,F.Y.Zhou,S.L.2012Genetic structure of the Tree Peony (Paeonia rockii) and the Qinling mountains as a geographic barrier driving the fragmentation of a large populationPLoS One7E34955)| false

ZhangG.R.2008Study on the relations between flower stages of peony cultivar population with different cultivars in Central Plains and their other biological characters. J. Anhui Agr. Sci. 36:8562–8563 8578 (in Chinese)